IIS Authentication issues using HTTP Get component

I have a functional workflow which is initiated by a user filling out a request. Once submitted, email is sent to an approver. The approver email contains a response link which launches another form with request details and ability to approve or deny request.

What I'm trying to add is an ability for the approver to send an email reply as an alternate method for approving the request. To do this I developed two separate customized MailTo: links that contain a specific subject line to either approve or deny the request. I created a separate monitoring workflow that checks a dedicated POP3 mailbox for these email responses. This workflow succesfully parses the email and then uses an HTTP Get component along with the response URL to initiate the approval or denial process in the original workflow. It all works... in debug mode.

The problem comes after publishing the workflows to IIS. The main workflow is set to use Windows authentication and anonomous access is disabled. This causes an exception in the aforementioned http get component with a 401 unauthorized response (understandably). The problem is, disabling anonymous authentication is the only way I could get the GetCurrentUser to work which the primary workflow also relies on. I've tried publishing the email monitor workflow as a service and changing the account that service runs as but there is no difference. I think the HTTP get component simply does not support authentication. Any ideas on how I can resolve this setting conflict?